Mental or Physical
by CSIBradley
Summary: Melanie's working on an article, can Joy offer advice? Re-uploaded


Joy sat on the couch plotting the demise of Melanie; she knew too much, Victoria could take the blame, she'd win him back.

"Goodnight Joy," Melanie said as she flicked off the lights.

Joy mumbled to the darkness. The words faded as she lost herself in the fantasy. _Melanie tied to a train track_, "To black and white," she argued to herself. _Stretch rack, _"To medieval." _Pillow_, a sly smirk crept across Joy's face. She arched and eyebrow in satisfaction. "Perfect."

Joy rose from the couch and ascended the stairs, the sinister smile lingering, a playful glint in her eyes.

Slipping into her room, she grabbed her pillow from the bed. She came to Melanie's door. She beamed in delight. Then, turned sober, dawning an unreadable expression she knew Melanie couldn't determine. Joy pushed the door open.

Melanie stopped typing mid sentence. She looked up from her laptop and over her glasses. She raised her eyebrows in a quizzical manner as she stared at Joy. Neither of them spoke. Melanie laughed, trying to break the tension.

"What are you doing?" Melanie asked. The smirk returned to Joy. As she took a step forward, a look of concern crossed Melanie's face. Melanie laughed, this time, coercively. Joy stepped closer.

"Joy," Melanie spoke in a stern tone, signifying to Joy, the joke was over. Joy's legs brushed against the mauve comforter. She lifted the pillow. Melanie now glared at her.

"Joy, knock it off."

"You know too much," Joy said as she hoisted herself on the bed and lifted a leg over Melanie, straddling her.

Melanie rested against the headboard and looked up at Joy, the annoyance still prevalent on her face.

"You put that pillow over my face and you will be on the floor quicker than you can blink."

Joy leaned down. "I bet you're writing down everything so you can put it in your little article."

"Joy, get out of my bed." Joy stared unrelentingly into Melanie's eyes. Through the glasses, she met a harsh stare. The look and the fairytale confections of floral pajamas became too much for her; a smile broke unwillingly. Then, the apprehensive tension turned into giggles. Joy leaned away.

"You better not be sitting on my laptop," Melanie said, coming down from her fit of laughter.

"What if I am?" Joy retorted.

"Then I think my webcam just took a picture of your backside."

"Ooo, let's take a few more and send them off to some blokes," Joy reached behind herself and grabbed Melanie's laptop. She was surprised to find a rather intimate picture of a couple in the background of Melanie's open windows.

"What's this Mel? Looking at porn are we?" Joy sat back on her bum, coming to rest on Melanie's thighs, laptop in hand.

Melanie blushed at Joy's assumption. "It's not porn Joy, it's research, for my article." Joy clicked through the staged images on the computer, nothing exposing, but surely suggestive with sexual overtones. She kept clicking.

"All of these pictures and only one with them snogging, geesh, some research guru you are."

"Hey," Melanie took offense, grabbing the computer from Joy, "if you read the title you'd know that I'm writing about how being intimate doesn't always mean getting down and dirty."

"It's sounds funny coming from you," Joy quipped.

Melanie rolled her eyes. "It's also about indulging in another person, in their ideas and interests."

"Like shrimper's?" Melanie grimaced slightly and nodded, reluctant to agree.

"Yes, like shrimper's."

"So it's more about the mind?"

"Yes."

Joy made a face, "Seems tedious."

Subconsciously, Melanie's hands came to rest on Joy's calves.

"It's only tedious if you make it tedious. If you think about it, a lot of intimacy is mental." Joy's brows knitted in skeptism.

"Here, think of something you find completely off-putting." Joy gave Melanie a look of disinterest. "I have a point," Melanie said.

Joy sighed, "Fine." She closed her eyes in thought. Melanie gently stroked her. "Okay, when every detail is planned."

Melanie looked at Joy in surprise, "Really?"

"Point?"

"Sorry. Ok, now think of something that really turns you on." Joy closed her eyes again. She thought. A slow flush spread across her cheeks and neck, she swallowed. Melanie waited for her to share in the fantasy. When she gave no insight, Melanie continued.

"Now find the middle ground."

"Middle ground?" Joy asked, opening her eyes.

"Yeah, what got you from off to on."

Joy stared at the wall in thought. "I'm not sure."

"Ok, let's break it down then. From controlled to..."

Joy closed her eyes. "Sheer unabashed passion."

"Ok, from control to impulse. Now think about the first few moments before you're completely turned on. Why does planning turn you off?"

"Because he wants to be in control."

"Or because he wants everything to be perfect so he can please you." Joy allowed the thought to settle. " Work backwards, what's right before... unabashed passion."

"Kissing."

"Uh huh," Melanie watched her hands ministrations.

"Light touches...flattery."

"Mmhm."

"Wine." The blush now covered Joy's chest. "His voice." She paused to find hers. "The anticipation."

"There, that moment, the anticipation." Joy opened her eyes and looked at Melanie.

"The anticipation?"

"Yes, it's the connection between the planned and spontaneous. You see, the thought of everything planned turns you off because it's mundane, common, you don't have to think about it. But when it's spontaneous, it's new and well, stimulating.

"So, it's like perception."

"Exactly. Then once you're aware of the middle ground you can use it to change the perception of intimacy."

"How would you change mine?"

Melanie looked at Joy in contemplation. "Communication."

"Like...?"

"Tell them up front you appreciate the thought, but you also like to go unscripted."

"What about in the bedroom?" Joy quickly asked the million-dollar question.

"Uh," Melanie hadn't thought that far ahead. Did she mention that wasn't the point of the article?

"Utilize the anticipation," Melanie answered.

"Of already knowing?"

"Yes."

"That defeats the purpose."

"Guys actually plan how they sleep with you?"

"No, but it's always the same, so it might as well be planned," Joy answered.

"Oh," Melanie laughed, "then use anticipation in communication."

"Which means?"

"Ok, you want something he's not doing done. The anticipation, or thought, of him... then leads to the reaction."

"I don't follow."

"Tell me to do something."

"Like what?"

"Like where to touch you."

Joy looked pessimistically at Melanie.

"Point or not?" Melanie asked.

"Fine, touch my ankle."

Melanie reached down and softly stroked Joy's ankle.

"Another."

Joy thought for a moment, "My knee." Sure enough, the thought and anticipation of Melanie's touch followed by the physical touch felt different. Melanie slowly moved her hands up Joy's leg. Keeping a 'respectable' distance from the hem of Joy's blue night shorts, Melanie caressed her as she brought her hand back down to Joy's knee. There was a flutter in Joy's abdomen. She inhaled sharply as Melanie traversed her thigh again.

"It's only different because of what I told you," Joy confessed.

Melanie paused, determining how to continue. _Point_, she mentally reminded herself. Her hands began moving again. This time, they didn't stop at the hem, but continued to Joy's hips. Melanie's mouth fell open as she traced the curves of Joy's body. Joy looked down at her, there was a subtle blush painted on Melanie's cheeks.

"Mel," Joy's voice was suddenly lascivious, "is this turning you on?" Melanie simply looked at her. Instead, she brought her hands back down to Joy's legs.

"I can't imagine anyone not wanting to touch your legs." Melanie touched her again. The smoothness of Joy's thighs tickled her palms. "They're so soft." Joy's eyes closed at her words. "So toned and firm." She swallowed as Melanie's hands slid along the tops of her thighs. "So, sexy." Joy's core quivered.

"Is this turning you on, Joy? Melanie mocked in a sensuous tone. Joy groaned as Melanie lightly ran her nails down her legs, the sensation causing gooseflesh to cover her exposed skin. Joy's hands remained idle. Melanie watched Joy's face as she ran her hands over her thighs, hips, ribs, then to her back. Joy leaned forward, supporting her weight on her hands, her neck and chest within Melanie's reach. Rubbing her hands farther up Joy's back, Melanie leaned away from the headboard, bringing her face to Joy's chest.

"When does the communication begin?"

"I don't know," Melanie teased in a low purr, "You tell me."

Joy could feel the vibration of Melanie's voice against her chest. She swallowed again.

"Melanie," Joy said in a whisper heavy with need.

"Yeah?"

"Touch me."

Melanie's eyes lulled shut at Joy's request. She could feel the heat radiating from Joy's chest. Timidly, she sought the radiance. Slowly, slowly, she continued until her nose brushed against the heated skin. Giving soft Eskimo kisses, Melanie basked in Joy's scent. Joy's right hand lifted from the bed and intertwined in Melanie's thick locks. Languidly, Melanie nuzzled against her chest. Tilting her head, Melanie dragged her bottom lip across her skin. Her mouth watered, she couldn't surmount the urge to lick the delicate flesh before her. Joy was warm, and by the slight hiss, Melanie could tell she was only getting warmer.

Joy arched in delight. Melanie pulled herself upright, pressing herself into Joy, her face now level with her breasts. Both of Joy's hands now fixed themselves in Melanie's hair.

"Melanie," Joy rasped, looking down. Melanie opened her eyes and looked up. There was a pause before Joy leaned down and captured her lips in a slow yet fervent passion. It was so exotic, so erotic, to indulge in the luxury of touch. They were lost in the sensation of each other, in the smoothness of their lips, the gentleness of their caresses, the closeness of their bodies. Melanie moaned, then laughed sultrily.

Through her lustful haze, Joy heard the artificial camera shutter from Melanie's laptop. She broke the kiss and looked to her side.

"You naughty little Slap," Joy jested.

"Just doing more research," Melanie said as she sought Joy's kiss swollen lips. Joy met hers. There was another shutter. Joy broke away.

"If you're going to take pictures, at least get my good side," Joy said as she reached over and brought the computer towards them, snapping another picture.

"No Joy," Melanie brought her hand to cover her face.

"Ah ah," Joy tisked, "in order to write a great article you have to test your research, become a part of it."

"I did," Melanie reached for the laptop. "I dated a shrimper."

"And were you turned on?"

"Well," Melanie thought.

"If you have to think about it then yes," Joy said, pushing Melanie's hands away from the computer. Melanie stopped struggling against her.

"Would it turn you on?" she asked. Joy looked at her.

"I wouldn't know," Joy answered bleakly. Melanie frowned empathically at Joy's honesty. Her hands found their way back to her legs.

"Lay back," Melanie requested. Joy looked at her hesitantly. Melanie smiled and gave her legs a reassuring rub. Inhaling, Joy leaned back. Melanie scooted back, finding the distance she needed to have access to Joy's legs.

"Close your eyes." She did.

Caressing her left foot, Melanie gently began massaging her instep. Joy moaned at the pleasing sensation.

"That feels heavenly after a day in heels."

Melanie just smiled in return. She kept rubbing, inching higher along Joy's legs. Over her heel, to her calf, from her calf to the back of her knee, then back down to her foot.

"Is this what he did?" Joy asked.

Melanie shook her head, "No, he focused more on my toes."

"And that turned you off," Joy stated as Melanie continued to rub her legs.

"It was different, unnerving, a little too intense."

Joy grunted in acknowledgement. She lifted her other foot and presented it to Melanie.

"You're not even listening now are you?" Joy grunted again. Mildly irritated with Joy's inattention, Melanie stopped rubbing and looked at her. Joy's hair splayed over the mauve comforter, her features flushed, body relaxed, she looked sexy. A pang of disappointment washed over Melanie, her features fell. If only she could be as sensuous and alluring.

Joy opened an eye and peeked at Melanie.

"What's wrong?"

"You're... spectacular," she answered in a sincere whisper. Joy's eyebrows raised in an unsure manner. She didn't know what Melanie meant.

"I want to be like you," Melanie finally answered the lingering question.

"Me? Why?"

"Because you're so you. I mean, you're free, sensual, attractive, sexual, and so seductive."

"You think too much Melanie. You can have sex without being in a serious and overly committed relationship."

Melanie shifted from her seated position. Joy continued.

"Sometimes you just need to feel instead of think."

Melanie crawled over her as she spoke. She came to rest softly on top of Joy.

"What's a good rogering between friends," she jested. She looked up into Melanie's eyes. Joy paused for a moment. The predatory look Melanie gave her reflected she took her words literally. Joy smirked, the tension between them recharged.

Melanie leaned down and captured Joy's lips. Joy mewed into the supple warmth. It no longer mattered if they made or tried to understand any point. They were two women, indulging in the physical intimacy of their friendship, their relationship.

The kissing started slow but quickly escalated into the fervent passion it was before. Melanie pushed away Joy's pink robe, sliding her hands along her arms as she went. Joy shivered at the touch, Melanie's hands a foreign softness she wasn't against. Joy's hands came to the bottom of Melanie's top, her fingers fumbled with the button. Melanie's kisses grew urgent, hungrier. They pressed against each other. Melanie reached down and grabbed Joy's hand, breaking the kiss. She looked into Joy's eyes as she guided her under the waistband of her pajamas.

Joy watched in delight at the pleasurable expression playing on Melanie's face as she reacted to her touch. Joy was surprised to find her in such an aroused state. She swallowed, Melanie's hand still guiding hers. Melanie's shut her eyes, losing herself in the sensation. Joy didn't need much coaxing.

"Oh," Melanie moaned, her mouth agape. She released Joy's hand. Bringing her hands to Joy's face, Melanie caressed her as she recaptured her lips. Joy began a steady rhythm, a few circles, then in and out. Melanie moaned into the kiss, the pressure building.

"Ah," she broke away and inhaled sharply, her muscle already beginning to clench. "Ooh."

"How long have you been turned on?" Joy asked.

"Before you even came in," Melanie rasped. Joy arched an eyebrow and increased her pace. Gripping the sheet, Melanie panted, trying to make herself last longer.

"Then you're close." Joy's snide remark elicited another moan from Melanie.

"Tell me, are you usually this vociferous?"

Melanie shook her head, her body beginning to tense. Joy laughed erotically. Melanie's breathing came in shallow pants, each pant punctuated with a moan. A few more strokes and Melanie gasped, her back arched in pleasure, her body rigid. She let out a long, knee-weakening moan as her orgasm shook her. Joy held her as she came down from her high. Getting her breathing back under control, she smiled wickedly, her face completely flushed. She laughed sensuously, pulling at Joy's shorts.

This was going to be an interesting article.


End file.
